Twilight of Queens: A Tudor Tragedy (Tudor Crimes Book 8) by Stevens Anne

Author:Stevens, Anne [Stevens, Anne]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: TightCircle Publications
Published: 2016-02-05T16:00:00+00:00

9 Whispers

“The merry little month of May,” Thomas Wyatt muses. He is struggling to finish the book he has promised to write for Miriam Draper, and is trying to find couplets that will stimulate his jaded imagination. “Not so damned merry, and not so damned helpful.”

“Talking to yourself again, Master Wyatt?” Thomas Cromwell asks, as he saunters past the arbour the poet has occupied in the gardens of Westminster Palace.

“I have lost my muse, Master Tom,” the poet replies. “Ever since my return from Calais, my mind has been full of … other things. The carnage was appalling.”

“But necessary,“ Thomas Cromwell replies. “You helped us all with your expertise, and more than that, you helped save the Draper family from destruction.”

“For which I have been handsomely rewarded, sir,” Tom Wyatt says. “The king favours me again, thanks to you, I believe.”

“It will only last as long as he favours me, young man,” Cromwell tells him, truthfully. “Now, I must leave you to find your lost muse.”

“Stay a moment,” Tom Wyatt says, softly. “Pray, set your face into a smile, as though I am jesting with you. There is something I think you should know.”

“Go on.” Cromwell nods, and chuckles, as he is instructed.

“It is only a rumour.”

“As is all truth, until it is proven.” Cromwell laughs again.

“I spent this last night with Lady Grace Ferriby, one of the queen’s women. I hoped her caresses might bring my poetic abilities back.”

“Anne will not like you swiving her ladies-in-waiting, Tom,” Cromwell replies. “She is a jealous woman.”

“Who is desperate to bear a son.”

“What do you know?”

“Only that she was complaining that the king does not visit her enough, and that his skills are … not what they once were.”

“And?”

“Then, about a week ago, her mood changed. She became light hearted, and generous.”

“Then she is with child?”

“Lady Grace is a silly girl, and does not know when to remain silent.” Tom Wyatt is uneasy now, and wishes he had remained silent. It is only the realisation of what he owes to the man that spurs him on.

“There is more?” Cromwell knows how Wyatt loves to tease a story out. He must be patient, if he is to know all there is to know.

“Anne took a late supper with her brother, George, and her father. Afterwards, the two Boleyn men were in very high spirits, with much back slapping, and fooling. Then, just yesterday morning, the queen felt sick. She locked herself away, with a few of her closest ladies, and was not seen until nightfall.”

“Pray finish, Master Wyatt, for my poor old face aches from all this smiling.”

“Just before Grace came to me,” the poet replies, “she was sent to the kitchens, to burn something.”

“What?”

“Bloodied clouts,” Wyatt whispers. “Rags, some of fine linen, all soaked through that did make me think…”

“She has miscarried,” Cromwell concludes. “It is not uncommon, within the first few weeks of carrying a child. I wager a bag of gold angels that she has not yet told the king.”

“Will you sir?” Wyatt asks.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.